Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

Filipe Neto This film tells the story of a young teacher of art history who teaches in an ultraconservative female private school. Through their ideas, she will discuss the school's rigid moral and the rules of the society of fifties, managing to earn the respect of his colleagues and the affection of the students. Directed by Mike Newell, this movie features Julia Roberts as the protagonist and Kirsten Dunst in the role of a conservative student, who will lead the opposition to the modern ideas concerning women.This film could be just another film about the private schools of American rich kids if it were three important factors that make the difference: the first is the good performance of Julia Roberts, even better than in other more acclaimed films; the second is the song "The Heart of Every Girl" composed by Sir Elton John purposely for the film and winner of a Golden Globe; the third is the screenplay, very well written and directed, focusing not only in the change of mind of the students but also in the drastic change of the role of women during the twentieth century.Despite the positive notes, this movie has two serious defects. The first is that it is too similar to the movie "Dead Poets Society". So similar that all those who watch this film without paying attention will think it is just a female version of the film starring Robin Williams. The second flaw in this movie is too much focus on the fights between girls, which only served to lighten the film and remove maturity to the plot. Maybe it was because of these small defects that the film never reached a higher level of recognition and reputation: contrary to "The Dead Poets Club" (comparisons are inevitable), this film didn't received major awards or nominations. Nevertheless, it's truly remarkable and deserves place in the living room of any lover of good cinema.

2karl- so we have an all star female cast like dead poet society for women in Mona Lisa smiles as you guessed it all about an art teacher who is played by Julia Roberts character Katherine Anne Watson a liberator of girl freedom in the 1950 she is hired by a prestigious college called Wellesley college with the outdated values of society where the girls marry young A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles. with Kirsten dunst playing a character called Betty warren who knows nothing only cleaning and washing for her husband but her husband is not the loving kind and she becomes bitter towards everyone not knowing what life is like with her husband but as she gets to know her art teacher and the modern art that she teaches questions her morals of her life , and has a passion not only for art but for her students. For the most part, the students all seem to be biding their time, waiting to find the right man to marry.The students are all very bright and Watson feels they are not reaching their potential. Although a strong bond is formed between teacher and student, Watson's views are incompatible with the dominant culture of the of thinking for themselves with Maggie gyellenhall and Ginnifer Goodwin playing characters called Giselle and Connie baker who live sleeping around kind a catch in on Julia Roberts character but the college board doesn't believe in Katherine forward thinking inspiring life and career before marriage and the board believe she is to open minded to teach these students and question why she should do her art class without manipulating people lives this is a brilliant deep thinking movie about and era gone by directed by a great director mike Newell

Svetlana Silina Not the worst movie out there, If you need to pleasantly kill a couple of hours of your life.This could be a good TV show for teaches. Decent cast, decent lines, decent visual, mostly summer. Little daily life at a decent college. The students are the girls from the decent /rich/ families.The only divination from the total decentness is Maggie's Gyllenhaal young character, however mild enough if to compare with her usual roles. Vintage fashion will be a bonus for those who fancy artichoke cuts, bouffant dress and the whole era of the first bikinis (no bikini in the movie).Shame that fashion will be pretty much all you'll learn about girls education of the time, as well as the time.

Desertman84 Mona Lisa Smile is a romantic drama starring Julia Roberts together with Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Julia Stiles. The title is a reference to the Mona Lisa, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, and the song of the same name, originally performed by Nat King Cole, which was covered by Seal for the movie.It was written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal; and directed by Mike Newell.Set in 1953,it tells the story of Katherine Watson, a new young art history professor at Wellesley College, an all-female campus with a prestigious reputation for academic excellence. Unfortunately for free- minded Berkeley grad Watson, her East Coast teaching stint comes during a less-progressive time that finds most of her students.Among them Betty Warren, Joan Brandwyn, and Giselle Levy.They are more interested in nabbing a good husband than achieving scholastic and intellectual growth. Watson challenges her students and the Wellesley faculty to think outside of the current mores of the community and redefine what it means to be a success.Meanwhile, she tries to come to terms with her own heart's desires.Co-stars Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal furnish well- observed performances that frequently outshine Julia Roberts's reflex characterization in this female variant of Dead Poets Society.But overall,the acting is just as fine.Also,the film is observed to be somewhat formulaic instead of being a fascinating exploration of a much more constrained time in our social history especially with the female teacher trying to dream a slightly bigger dream than his parents thought he or she was capable of achieving.It would have worked at all levels particularly costumes,set design, manners and acting if only it wasn't predictable.